


Evil is what evil does...

by Nuredhel



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hostage Situations, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Psychological Trauma, Rage, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 03:25:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3752695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thranduil is only a Young Prince and rather innocent and unprepared for the realities of the world when some of his friends are captured by some rather devious and wicked humans, the experience will haunt him for the rest of his existence and push him onto the path towards the rather Cold and controlled being he later becomes. <br/>Warning, very dark and disturbing story, not for the faint of heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evil is what evil does...

**Author's Note:**

> This story is absolutely not for the faint of heart, it is graphic and violent and just disturbing! I got a shock myself when I started reading through it and saw what I had written but when I’m in a writers trance I’m not always aware of what I am doing, the words just come.   
> This story is connected with the story underneath alien skies which I am going to upload soon, in it Thranduil mentions a friend he lost a long time ago and how that loss traumatized him a lot and showed him how terrible reality really can be. Here I tell that story in details and I wanted to show how this first meeting with true evil shocks the at the time young prince and pushes him towards the man he later becomes. I also wanted to show how elves react to being the victims of rape, yes, they can chose to die!  
> Evil is indeed what evil does, and the elves of Greenwood are used to facing orcs and other foul creatures, here they’ll face something even worse, heartless sadistic humans. I wanted to play a little around with the idea of how such creatures of light would react to people with nothing but darkness within their souls.   
> Yes, in the end of it Thranduil reacts in a way that is almost as gruesome as the deeds of these humans but he is young, angry and completely out of balance emotionally, and he is scared too. You may say that he is taught a valuable lesson on how easy it is to repay evil deeds with an eye for an eye. I also added a small hint to why he is so fond of wine, it serves as a sort of barrier between him and memories he wishes he never had.   
> Again, warning! Absolutely adult due to language, violence, sexual assault, torture and death. Do not read if you have weak stomach or are easily offended.

Evil is what evil does

The summer was at its peak, the heat almost unbearable and almost everybody preferred to stay indoors during the worst heat of the day. The whole forest seemed to just rest, wait for that moment when the gentle breeze of the evening made the temperature a little less of a problem. The elves were going on with their everyday business but the warm summer had taken its toll even on them. Greenwood was dozing and the rivers and pools were filled with the elflings and young elves who were trying to cool down. 

A group of young elves were sitting by the river not far from King Oropher’s palace, his son Thranduil was among them. They were all of almost the same age and they had grown up together. The youngest of the group had just celebrated his coming of age and they teased him gently. The atmosphere was relaxed and they were chatting about their everyday lives. Thranduil tried to be one of the others more than the king’s son and heir. He could not let everybody see that he was being a close friend to such ordinary elves but he had few friends, those he had were so precious to him and he did not care if they were just silvan in origin. His father probably knew but he was so busy with the rule of the realm he had no time to scold his son. And he probably understood the problem as well, Thranduil was just come of age too and still very young, the problem could be addressed later. 

There was tension in the realm, war was brewing and the forces of evil seemed to be lurking everywhere but this forest was safe, at least for now. Thranduil listened to the stories of the others, stories of great battles and heroic deeds and his heart yearned to experience something more, to prove himself. He could be a great warrior, he just knew it. The older veterans would smile at him and there was melancholy within their smiles. “There is no glory in war” they would say. ”There is only fear and pain and death. Be glad for every day you can go on living without raising a weapon”

He could not quite believe them, it seemed so grand, to face the enemy head on and triumph over evil creatures. Even his friends told him he was a bit naïve, overprotected perhaps by his father. They told him he never had known evil and that he had no idea of how brutal the world really was. He had seen dead orcs and read the descriptions of the enemy and the battles and wars of old, he protested but their voices were sad when they told him that no, he really had no idea what the true nature of evil was. 

He was sitting by the river with five of his friends, all five of them were in the guard including young Lango and they pretended that they were ordered to guard the king’s son whenever anyone approached them. Everybody of course knew they were his friends more than his guards but nobody said anything about it. They had been taking a bath and Thranduil was flirting a little with the only female of the group. Liriel was older than Thranduil and Lango but younger than the three other males. They were joking and just chilling when one of the officers came walking, he gestured towards Liriel who was the only low ranking officer of the group. “Someone saw smoke rising near the border by the dry hills, it is probably just some farmers looking for lost sheep or something but the captain wants it checked out. It is bone dry out there and we do not want a forest fire.”

Liriel sighed and got on her feet. “We’ll get right on it sir.”

The officer nodded. “Arm yourselves and be careful, it is probably nothing to worry about but you’ll never know.”

Liriel just grinned, she was very tall and she had thick hair the color of honey. Many thought that she was very pretty and she knew how to use her good looks to get whatever she wanted. “We are five sir, and we are all good fighters. It will be ok.”

The officer smiled. “You are good fighters yes, but do never overestimate yourselves, it can be dangerous. Take care”

Liriel bowed and grinned and the four Ellyn got on their feet too, they looked eager and Thranduil sighed. He would have loved to follow them but his father was to return home that evening and if he wasn’t there then there would be hell to pay. Liriel grinned at him. “Do not look so sad, if there is nothing special going on tomorrow we may go hunting. We can pretend we are guarding you or something”

Thranduil nodded, he suddenly felt a little more enthusiastic. He grinned at the five young elves. “That would be nice, see you all later!”

Liriel nodded and ran off and Thranduil was left alone, suddenly he felt a weird chill run down his spine, as if someone had poured something ice cold down his neck. He shuddered and tried to regain his usually calm demeanor, he stared after the five other elves and bit his teeth together, he suddenly felt a strange urge to call out and order them to stay put. 

Liriel and the other four arrived at the stables, they got their horses and weapons and rode out in a good mood. Something was happening and the days had been long and boring, they longed for new experiences and since they were young they had not yet learned that peace and quiet in fact is very valuable. They needed to prove themselves and they were chatting merrily as they rode through the forest. They were teasing Lango with an elleth he seemed to have taken an interest in and the three other Ellyn were discussing horses and swords. They reached the area around the dry hills after a couple of hours, the forest wasn’t very dense there and rather open. Liriel took a look at the surroundings, it seemed very peaceful and the birds were singing. Girion, the oldest of them raised his arm. “There, by those trees, smoke.”

It was smoke, as if from a small camp fire and Liriel nodded to the men, they pulled their swords and the two archers prepared their bows. Liriel urged her horse forwards, it neighed and another horse answered, they reached a clearing with a small fire. Four men sat by it and some horses were tied to a fallen tree. It was a rather peaceful scene but Liriel got a strange feeling when watching the men. Why she did not know, all the humans she had encountered had been allies and friends of the elves of Greenwood and these men looked rather harmless. They were dressed as hunters and farmers and they had only knives and one of them had a short sword. They smiled at the elves and one of them got on his feet, he bowed and looked very relaxed. “I apologize for trespassing into your realm, we were out hunting and some of our horses escaped. We had to go into the woods to fetch them and now we are just resting before we head back to our village.”

Liriel nodded, she still had that weird feeling. There were eight horses, and she could see that they all wore saddles, why have eight horses for four men? The answer hit her just a second too late, she was about to turn her horse around when Girion and Caran fell from their horses with arrows sticking out of their chests. Tharalion yelled and tried to urge his horse forward but he was hit by an arrow straight in the middle of his head and fell of the horse limp and boneless. Liriel could hear a scream, it was her own but she could not believe that she was screaming this loud? She tried to turn her horse and an arrow struck it in the neck right below its mane, it was no lethal injury but the pain made the animal buck her off and she heard Lango scream, then everything went black and silent. 

The men grasped the unconscious elleth and hit Lango in the head to knock him out too. They grasped the horses the elves had been riding except Liriels who had bolted and ran off in a panic. The man who had spoken to her grinned, his smile was wicked and filled with anticipation. “Get them onto the horses, we have got to get out of here before any more pointy eared freaks show up!”

The two elves were tied and gagged and thrown over two horses, the dead elves were disposed of and then the men got in the saddle of their own animals and rode off. They were eight and four men had been hiding in the canopy of a nearby tree. They had masked their scent with fresh tree sap and the elves had never stood a chance. 

 

Liriel slowly awakened, she felt utterly confused and her head hurt like crazy. She tried to move but could not, her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were tied together. She opened her eyes, they were no longer at the dry hills, this place was unfamiliar. It was a riverbank and the forest was thick and lush around it. She saw the men sitting on a log near the river, they were eating. Their horses and the four they had stolen were tied to a couple of trees, the animals seemed to be ok but she wondered what had happened to her horse. She prayed it had enough intelligence to run back home, then the others would know that something had happened to the five young soldiers. 

She turned her head, Lango lay right beside her, he was on his side and he was awake, he had a nasty cut just above his left eye and it had bled a lot. He looked terrible and he was shivering. She whispered to him. “Lango, are you alright?”

He lifted his head, looked at her. “N…no, my head hurts so bad! They killed them!”

His voice told of utter disbelief and she shared it. Why would humans do something that terrible? And stupid? Did they not know what the result would be? Oropher would not rest until they were hunted down and killed, each and every one of them. And why had they spared her and Lango? Would they try to use them as a sort of tool for bargaining? As hostages? She had no idea. Lango whimpered, he closed his eyes. “I am so scared Liriel, what are they gonna do to us?”

Liriel swallowed, her mouth dry and her heart beating with a wild rhythm. “I hope they are gonna use us as hostages, and release us later.”

She knew her words were empty, these men had killed three elves without hesitation, she could almost smell their evil intentions. These humans were no better than orcs, probably worse. She and Lango had probably been spared just to serve as entertainment later. He tried to wriggle himself closer to her, she felt tears running down her cheeks. He was so young, barely more than a lad. This should never have happened to someone this young, it was not fair. They could do whatever they wanted to her if only Lango got away. She was the officer of the group, it was her responsibility to take care of the others and ensure their safety. She had failed miserably and the guilt was hers and hers alone, she should have been more alert, seen that these men were not who they appeared to be. She knew there had been humans serving the darkness, mercenaries fighting on the wrong side and she suspected that these were just that, men without honor or respect for anything. 

The man who had spoken to her got on his legs, two others followed him and she braced herself, she would soon know whether or not this would be the death of them both. The man grabbed her by her arm and yanked her up, the pain made her whimper and she knew it, they were both going to die. If these humans had wanted to spare them they would have been more gentle. Lango saw the expression within her eyes and he went pale, she whispered to him. “Be brave mellon nin, show them what honor and courage truly means”

The human stared straight into her face, he grinned and the grin was wicked. “Now, let me introduce myself, I am known as Ugnar and you are my prisoners from now on, If you behave I might even let you go, if not I will not hesitate killing you both. Is that understood?”

Liriel nodded, she knew that she should try to cooperate, maybe help was on the way already. Ugnar had a strange dark light glittering within his eyes and she knew he enjoyed being the one who decided whether or not others were allowed to live or die. He was a very dangerous person, ruthless and probably sadistic. 

He grasped her by the chin. “And now she-elf, your names!”

She swallowed. “I…I am Liriel, he is Lango.”

He cocked his head. “Liriel, What a lovely name for a lovely woman, and Lango, that means broadsword if I am not mistaken”

He grinned once more. “My men and I are bored, and we are going to have some fun. Like I said earlier, if you behave I will let you leave, if not then you will regret it, a lot.”

Liriel felt how her blood turned to ice, she knew that humans found elves very attractive but the very idea of these stinky smelly creatures touching her made her cringe. And Lango? He was so young, he had no idea of how wicked humans could be, he was such an innocent and she tried to gather her courage. “Please, let Lango go, he is barely more than a child, you can do whatever you like to me but let him go”

Ugnar shook his head with a snigger. “But I do not want to let him go, he is pretty is he. Just look at him, few females are that fair, don’t you agree?”

Liriel had problems breathing, Lango was indeed very beautiful with long auburn hair and soft brown eyes and he still had that youthful expression she knew many humans found irresistible. One of the other men had grabbed Lango and pulled him up, he was standing on his knees and he looked absolutely terrified. Her heart wept for him, she had a strong suspicion about what these humans would do to them. Ugnar turned around and looked down at Lango, the young ellon was shivering and Liriel could see the fear in his eyes. He had never seen anyone die before and now three of his friends had been murdered right before his eyes, like they were nothing more than vermin. Liriel knew why she and Lango had been allowed to live, she was a female and they often underestimated such and Lango was very young, he was inexperienced and yet not strong enough to resist them. 

Ugnar let his hands run through Lango’s soft long hair, it was an almost loving caress. Lango tried to spit at the human but his mouth was too dry. Ugnar chuckled. “Defiant are we? Not for long my pretty one, I can guarantee you that you will cooperate.”

Lango hissed. “Never!”

Ugnar nodded to one of the other men, all of them had assembled now, stood in a circle around the two elves. The man grabbed Liriel and pushed her down onto her knees, placed a knife across her throat. Ugnar grinned. “See? If you don’t do what I tell you to do you will watch Eban her cut her throat very slowly. You will watch her die and it will be all because of your resistance.”

Liriel gasped, the knife was sharp and she could feel a few drops of blood running down her neck. Lango gasped and she saw the utter helpless expression within his eyes, he did not know what to do or say. This bastard was using them against each other, he was both cunning and malicious. Ugnar grinned and two men grasped Lango, one by the hair and the other by his shoulders, he could not move an inch. 

Ugnar bowed down in front of the terrified young ellon, he smiled and caressed his cheek. “Listen to me, you are going to suck me until I come, and if I feel any teeth she will die, got it?”

Lango looked confused, he had no idea what the man was talking about and Liriel could see that Ugnar in fact liked that. He got on his feet and opened his pants, pulled out his already erect member and Lango had an expression of both disgust and fear, he tried to push himself away from Ugnar but the two men held him and they both laughed. ”Look at that, the elfling doesn’t even know what to do with a real cock, lets teach him”

The man who was holding him by the hair used his other hand to force his jaws apart, Lango realized what they were about to do to him and he almost fell into a state of panic, he tried to turn his head away but to no prevail. Liriel was horrified, shocked to her very core. She had to look away, she could not watch this wicked human shove his member into Lango’s mouth. She could hear choking sounds and movements, the men were holding the poor elf completely still while Ugnar violated him. She felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks and knew she would be next.   
Ugnar started to groan and he was shouting obscenities, Lango had closed his eyes, tears were streaming down his face and he was struggling to breathe. He could not bite since they had a solid grip on him and if he did they would kill Liriel. He just had to endure and after what seemed like an eternity Ugnar roared in pleasure and finished with a couple of violent thrusts that forced his member all the way down Lango’s throat. The men let go of him the moment their leader pulled out and the elf fell over on his side, wheezing and coughing and retching. He was throwing up and just lay there, in shock and fear. Liriel felt how a white hot surge of hate filled her very core, she would have killed these men like orcs if she had been free and armed. 

Ugnar put his pants back on, he turned to Liriel and the grin was even more vicious than before. “Oh, you are angry are you not? But he saved your life you know, if he had tried to struggle we would have cut your throat, believe me!”

He caressed her thick golden hair and tried to kiss her, Liriel tried to chip him down and he just caught her head before she could hit him and pulled it backward. “Now, be reasonable, you are a lady and that was not very lady-like now was it? You’d better show some gratitude!”

He said something to the other men in a language Liriel did not understand. They lifted Lango on to his legs and he tried to resist but to no prevail. Ugnar grabbed Liriel by her shoulders and squeezed her neck, it hurt so bad she almost fainted, he was close to crushing her vertebrae. This man was very strong and she had no idea what he was planning on doing now. The men held Lango while two others started to cut his tunic and shirt off him. The young elf shivered like a leaf in the wind and the men grinned and laughed, when his upper body was naked they opened his belt and Lango tried to struggle once more but was overpowered rather fast. They pulled his pants down and grinned. “Damn, for someone that lean he surely is well endowed.”

Ugnar let his hand run down Lango’s chest, he pinched one of the elf’s nipples and Lango winced, Ugnar grinned. “You know, you are so pretty we gladly would use you as we would use a woman, and we probably will. But first a question, have you been with a woman?”

Lango shook his head, he looked so young and afraid and Liriel feared that this would break him no matter what the outcome would be. Even if they were fortunate enough to be saved he would be traumatized for the rest of his days, elves never did anything like what these men were doing. Ugnar grinned. “How wonderful, a virgin.”

He had the other men haul Liriel closer to Lango. “Now you may show your gratitude, do to him what he did for me, or else I will cut of those pointy ears of his”

Liriel froze, she could not believe this and Ugnar grasped her by her hair and pushed her face towards Lango’s groin. “Do it wench or he will pay the price!”

The men were staring at them and she saw the thrill in their eyes and their wicked lust, they enjoyed watching these two elves getting as humiliated as they possibly could get. Lango shivered and his chin was shaking, he was crying and Liriel felt so sorry for him. He wasn’t hardened by life as she was and she had to be strong for the both of them. If she had to do this she was glad it was Lango she had to do it with, at least he was good looking and clean and without that disgusting body hair. She nodded and got a hold of herself, she had to remain calm, if they were to have any chance at all of surviving this. The men held Lango and one had a knife to his throat, she swallowed hard and hoped that she at least could give him some pleasure. Ugnar smiled, the smile was very sadistic and showed what kind of a truly evil person he was. “Remember little wench, don’t stop until he comes, if you do we’ll let his blood do the spurting”

Liriel nodded, she felt so terribly sorry and terribly embarrassed but she had no choice. He was limp but she used her tongue to stimulate him and in spite of the terrible situation he started to react to the touch. She had done this before but only a couple of times and it had been with an ellon she had been deeply in love with. He had been almost beside himself with pleasure and she knew that males really enjoyed this, she just had to force herself to continue. This had nothing to do with love or desire or any positive feelings at all, this wasn’t even about lust. It was all about power, and she was so ashamed of herself but she could not disobey without risking the life of her dear friend. Lango had reacted, he was breathing harder and had closed his eyes. His face revealed a strange mixture of pleasure and fear and shame and the men were shouting at him. “Come on lad, don’t be shy”

“Shove it down her throat” They were grinning and making obscene gestures and Liriel tried to block them out, tried to just think about what she was doing. Lango moaned and gasped, she could feel that he was close and she prepared herself. He tensed up, his hips moved in spasms and she heard him cry out, she swallowed and tried to suppress the need to throw up. It was disgusting and she hated the taste and texture but she had no choice. The men cheered, patted Lango on his back and appeared to almost congratulate him. He was shivering still, eyes closed and tears running in shame and despair. 

Ugnar had a dark expression within his eyes. “You did well, I bet you have had your fair share of cock, or do the males of your race perhaps prefer each other’s ass? 

Liriel spat and cursed. “Go to hell you spawn of Morgoth!”

Ugnar shook his head. “My, what a foul mouth for a lady this fair, at least you have shown us that you know what your mouth is for.”

The men let Lango fall unto his knees once more, he was almost naked now and tried to curl himself into a fetal position. He was whimpering and shivering and Ugnar looked at him with something almost akin to pity in his eyes. “Rest now, we’ll get back to you two later”

The men tied the two elves to a tree after having pulled Lango’s pants back up. 

Liriel felt how rage and hatred made her blood boil, Lango was curled up beside her and he was crying softly. She wished she could have touched him, comforted him. He sobbed and opened his eyes, stared at her. “I am so sorry”

Liriel tried to smile at him. “For what? You have done nothing wrong mellon nin”

He gasped. “For..for being so weak! So helpless! I…I liked it”

Liriel closed her eyes for a moment, despair threatened to overwhelm her. “It is not your fault Lango, it would have been almost impossible for you to resist, and if you had they would have killed you.”

He sobbed again and he looked so very young and vulnerable. “I am so ashamed, they watched us, how can anyone be that sick?”

Liriel just sighed, tried to find a comfortable position. “I do not know, all I know is that these men are more wicked than even orcs, be strong Lango, I fear they will show us how truly wicked they are.”

 

Back in Greenwood evening fell and the officer who had sent the five young guards out on patrol started to feel a bit worried, they should have been back by now and he hurried towards the palace to check if they had returned and forgotten to tell him about it. He met Thranduil on the way, the young prince looked worried as well. “Larhan, have you seen Liriel and the others?”

The officer bowed and shook his head. “No my lord, I have not. I was on my way back to check if they have returned and forgotten to inform the others of it but since you are looking too I am sure they haven’t returned at all.”

Thranduil swallowed, he felt very worried and scared, he just knew that something had happened to his friends. Larhan ran towards the barracks and suddenly there was a cry from the gates. “One horse is approaching.”

Larhan and Thranduil stopped and stared, the gates opened and a single horse came running, wild eyed and bloody. An arrow protruded from its neck just underneath its mane and the animal was rolling its eyes and in a state of panic. Two of the guards managed to get the reins and held the horse and Larhan gasped. “It is Larcatal, Liriels horse.”

Thranduil felt how a terrible weight suddenly landed right in the middle of his chest, he almost stumbled. Larhan touched the arrow. “Humans, orcs do not have such well-made arrows”

Thranduil gasped. “Humans? Why would humans shoot at elves?”

Larhan looked at the prince with sadness. “Evil is not a trait reserved for orcs and the servants of Sauron. It can occur within every race my lord, and humans are often weak and easy to corrupt.”

Larhan gestured to a couple of guards. “Go tell our king that five of our soldiers are missing and that they probably have been taken captive by humans, I fear the worse.”

The guards saluted and ran and Thranduil watched how they got the saddle of Liriels horse, a healer was summoned to remove the arrow and he felt a surge of nausea rush through him. He could not believe that something bad had happened to his friends but something deep within him already knew that something had. He just prayed that he would see them again. 

After just half an hour the courtyard was filled with guards and horses and Oropher appeared on the balcony. He looked very worried and Thranduil ran to him. “Adar, let me follow the soldiers, the missing guards are my friends, I have to know what’s happened to them!”

Oropher sighed, he saw the fear within his son’s eyes and he knew of the deep friendship between him and these five other youngsters. He had protected his son against the reality of the world out there, but he could not place the young prince within a cocoon forever. He would eventually have to go out there and see what they really were up against, that the stories and songs spoke of a sugarcoated reality with little if anything resembling the truth. Oropher knew that this could be nasty, probably even terrible. But if he told his son to stay and something really had happened to these five then Thranduil probably never would be able to forgive him. Oropher knew he would regret it but he nodded. “You have my permission, but I am warning you. If they have been captured you might see things you’ll never be able to forget.”

Thranduil swallowed hard. “I know Adar, but I have to go, I have to help my friends if I can. I will never be a good ruler if I desert those I care about.”

Oropher sighed, his smile was sad. He knew that his son probably never again would be the carefree and childish ellon he now was when he returned. He sensed death and fear and wished he could prevent his son from seeing the truth but the time had come, his son had to grow up. Thranduil got his horse and got in the saddle and the huge group left the courtyard. In a couple of hours they would reach the dry hills and darkness did not stop them. They had to find their missing kin, and they would never stop searching. 

 

Darkness fell fast also by the river. The two elves were apparently ignored by the men and Liriel just prayed that a search party had been sent out. The others would know that something had happened by now. She was tired and scared and her heart was beating so very fast within her chest, what would these bastards do to them next? 

A fire had been built and the men were eating, Liriel felt that she was thirsty and she knew that Lango had to be thirsty too but he had not complained, in fact he had been silent for a long time. Liriel was thinking about talking to him when four of the men got up and walked towards them, she braced herself and sent a short prayer to the Valar, she saw the expression within their eyes and knew that there was more to come. Lango almost screamed when he was lifted up onto his feet and she felt so sorry for him. The men chuckled and one of them kissed him. “Oh you are gonna scream some more, I can promise you this.”

Liriel felt her heart sink within her chest, tears were welling up in her eyes. They would not see another sunrise, she just knew it. The two elves were hauled forth and dropped in front of the fire, Liriel felt herself shiver and she tried to remain brave, to appear as if she was unafraid and defiant. Ugnar nodded and the men started to strip them of their clothes. Liriel tried to struggle but they were too strong and her garments were cut away from her body. Ugnar smiled and let his eyes run along her body, almost caressing her with his eyes. “You are truly beautiful my dear, a shame really to waste something this gorgeous but I bet there are plenty more ellith where you’re from.”

He reached down, grasped one of her breasts and squeezed it hard, the pain made her cringe and she spat at him. Ugnar struck her in the face, she felt her head flew back from the force and blood started to run from her nose. It was clearly broken and the taste of her own blood made her feel sick. Ugnar grinned, a very vicious grin. “But where are my manners, you cannot have guests without offering them something to eat or drink?”

He grabbed a bottle and opened it, the smell was very strong and unpleasant and he grabbed Lango by the chin and pushed the bottleneck into his mouth. Lango had to swallow or choke and he struggled but had no chance, he swallowed several huge gulps of the liquid and then Ugnar did the same to Liriel. It tasted worse than horsepiss and burned her throat and she coughed and tried to catch her breath. “Now, that’s more like it, and now some food!”

He turned around and one of the men handed him a packet of some kind. She could feel a rotten stench and gulped. The man opened the package, it was a mixture of rotten flesh and fruit and maggots were already busy devouring the disgusting mass. Ugnar grabbed a solid handful of it, forced Lango’s mouth open and dropped the stinky mass into it. The young elf gasped and spat and Ugnar grinned wickedly, he forced Lango’s mouth shut and held for his nose, he had to swallow or choke and he did indeed swallow the disgusting stuff. Ugnar laughed at Lango’s tears and the young elf retched and puked all over the sand, he was shivering and spitting. “Now that’s bad manners, you do not turn down the food your host is offering you, I think we may have to teach these elves a lesson or two.”

He turned towards Liriel and his eyes were shining. “Hold her!”

Liriel shivered, she was so very afraid, she had faced orcs and trolls but they had never scared her like this man did. He was so very much more frightening. He pulled a knife and grinned, held the blade against her left breast. “Now, which one should I cut off her? Or should I go for an ear? Perhaps I will spare her, if you remove that puke of yours, with your tongue!”

Lango stared at the man, his eyes wide with horror and disgust. “Come on lad, I will hurt her!”

The young elf gasped, then he leaned forward and tried to do it but the stench made him retch again and he did throw up even more. “That was not what I asked you to do you stupid twat. Now look what you have done!”

Liriel felt how the human grasped hold of her hair and suddenly she felt a terrible pain, she screamed and felt warm blood run down her face and neck. Ugnar had cut off her ear and she had never felt such agony before. Lango screamed, he lurched forward and Liriel did not know if he tried to bite Ugnar in the foot or if it just was a desperate attempt to do something. Ugnar grinned and kicked Lango in the face, she could hear the sound of bones breaking and the young elf fell flat onto the ground. She knew his cheekbone had to have been broken and his left eye was swelling up. She could barely think, the pain was just overwhelming and tears were flowing down her cheek. Ugnar turned towards her, his smile was even more vicious than before. “That little brat tried to bite me, he has probably never been taught how to behave. But the rules are clear, you’ll pay the price”

He nodded towards two of the other men and they knelt down beside her, she could see it in their eyes, she knew what they were about to do to her and she knew she’d rather slit her own throat than letting a filthy human have her. But she was helpless, powerless. They cut the rope that was holding her legs together and she tried to kick them but they were too strong, before long she had one of them on top of her and she closed her eyes and tried to pretend like it wasn’t happening. But it was, and the pain made her whimper, the man was grunting and panting and thrusting hard into her and Ugnar held Lango by his hair, forced him to watch. “See there lad? Now that’s what I call a real decent fuck!”

Lango was crying, his left eye completely shut by the swelling and he was obviously disgusted. The man was biting her breasts and neck, he broke through the skin and Liriel prayed the Valar to come and claim her, she would welcome death as a savior. Ugnar grinned, he was panting and obviously getting off by watching the man rape Liriel, he grasped his knife and the moment the man reached his release he cut off Lango’s left ear just as he had with Liriel. Lango screamed in agony and jerked and Ugnar forced his head up, kissed him. The elf tried to avoid him but to no prevail. Liriel felt her own tears flow down her cheeks but her body had gone numb, the other man took the place of the first one, she did no longer care. She knew they both would die and the only thing she could pray for was a clean death. But she was almost sure that it wouldn’t be so.   
Ugnar held Lango and kissed him again, licked the blood off his face. It was sickening, so perverted and just foul Liriel began to believe that this had to be the very spawn of the dark one himself. The man on top of her roared as he came and Ugnar grinned once more, cut off Lango’s right ear as well. Liriel felt how a scream was building itself up inside of her, but there was no sound. Lango did not scream, he just made a terrible moaning sound and he was shaking his head in agony. Ugnar smiled. “Not so pretty any longer, but what the hey, you are still useful”

He gestured to his men. “They are all yours now, have fun”

Lango tried to get up on his feet but he was pushed down by two men and he screamed in pain and terror as they started to abuse him. Liriel just lay there, she wasn’t unconscious but her body was limp and almost just dead weight. The men laughed and had fun, all of them fucked her, even Ugnar who cut her nipples off her and lapped the blood of her chest. She was just staring into the sky, her soul ready to leave. They did the same to Lango, and when they lost their interest in rape they went on to plain torture. They heated a knife in the bonfire and pressed the red hot blade towards every sensitive area on the young ellons body. Lango screamed at first, then he passed out and they waited until he woke up again before they continued. Liriel saw it all, as if she was floating above it. She did not feel the pain when they turned her around and started whipping her until her ribs were showing, she did not feel that they used a thick stick on her and left it there. They beat Lango with their swords, broke his ribs and dislocated his shoulders. Ugnar cut thin slices out of his skin, and he came as he watched the ellon squirm in agony. Liriel was grateful when darkness descended over her and she just hoped that she would open her eyes again in the halls of Mandos. 

 

The group of riders arrived at the dry hills a little before midnight, the forest was silent but their keen senses were leading them, something was clearly amiss. The scouts picked it up first, it was the scent of blood and the group dismounted and walked slowly forwards. Thranduil felt his heart beat hard in his chest, he felt fear like never before. Not fear for his own safety but fear for his friends. There was a cry from the scouts, it sounded almost choked and the officers ran forward. Thranduil followed them, what he saw just confused him because he could not really see what it was at first. When he did realize what he was looking at he turned around and felt how his legs turned to jelly. It was the three eldest of the Ellyn, they had been hanged from a branch and their eyes had been cut out and their genitalia also cut off. The officers were shouting orders, Thranduil heard them telling the others to cut them down, cover the bodies and transport them home for a proper funeral. He heard but he could not really understand the words, they made no sense to him. This was not his friends? How could this be the same Ellyn he had laughed with and talked to earlier that same day? He was gasping, leaning heavily against the flanks of his horse. One of the officers stopped by him, his face contorted with sorrow and shock. “My lord, you should head back. We have found tracks but I do not recommend that you…”

Thranduil shook his head. “I have too, I have to see for myself… I have to make sure that those vermin who did this are getting the punishment they deserve!”

The officer nodded and Thranduil pulled himself into the saddle once more, he felt like all of his strength had left him. Some of the soldiers rode off with the dead bodies of the three Ellyn and the rest of the group followed the tracks. There was a strange atmosphere within the group now, icecold determination and burning rage combined. Thranduil felt tears flow down his face, they were dead, he could not believe it. He had never seen dead elves before, it was such a shock and he felt like turning around and riding back home but he could not. He had to see what had happened to Liriel and Lango, and if possible save them.

 

Liriel opened her eyes slowly, it was bitterly cold and she lay in the bushes, she could hear the men and see the fire and she felt something heavy across her belly and chest. There was no pain, it was weird but she knew her body was shutting down, it was to expect. She turned her head slowly, it was Lango. He had been thrown over her and she realized that the men had discarded off them both like they were trash. He was cold, his eyes were staring into the starlight night and they were empty, he was not breathing and she gasped and felt one more tear run down her cheek. At least they could not hurt him again, he was free now, as she too would be soon. There was no point in hanging on, she was letting go of her body and it felt like a relief. Her injuries could perhaps have been healed but her soul would never recover from these evil deeds. It was better to welcome death. 

She was about to close her eyes for the last time when there was a sudden commotion. Horses where whinnying and she heard arrows fly and hit flesh. Elves were shouting and calling out and she smiled, a small and sad grin. “Too late my brothers, too late”

 

The camp was not well hidden at all, it was easy sneaking up on it and there was no doubt that these were the men responsible for the death of the three Ellyn they had found and the disappearance of Liriel and Lango. The officers gave their orders and the soldiers moved into action, they killed seven of the men and spared the apparent leader, his clothes were stained with blood and he looked like a madman. There was no sign of the two missing elves until one of the scouts searched the thicket around the camp site. “They are here!”

Thranduil had stayed in the background, now he rushed forward and ran into the bushes, what he saw made him turn around in disbelief. He gasped and tried not to retch and he felt tears running down his face like a cold river. How could any creatures be so cruel? So evil? He sank to his knees and grasped Liriels hand, it was still warm and he gasped and sobbed. There was a sudden movement, her hand closed around his and he winced, she was alive?! 

Her eyes opened, they were distant and blurred and he leaned forward. “Liriel, Liriel, please, stay with me, don’t let go, not yet. They can fix you!”

She sighed, her voice but a faint whisper. “No, they can never fix me Thranduil, I can never recover from this, never be me again.”

She squeezed his hand and smiled, a melancholic smile. “Farewell my true friend, we may meet again someday, until then live well and never forget me!”

He gasped. “I swear, I will remember you, please, fight, stay!”

She closed her eyes and the smile never left her face. “Too late”

Her hand went limp and he shook it, shook her, called her name but she was gone and all that was left was an empty husk and he leaned forward and screamed in sorrow and rage. He had not really noticed the extent of their injuries until now but the sight of the mutilated bodies made him retch and a terrible red hot anger grew within him until he no longer could contain it. He got on his feet, walked out of the bushes and into the camp place. The leader of the men stood there with a grin on his face, he did not look as if he was afraid at all and Thranduil knew that this man was mad. The man turned his face and laughed. “Oh, don’t tell me that the little whore was yours? She had a very nice cunt and an even better mouth, and the ass of that pretty boy was just perfect too”

Thranduil had never felt anything like that, it was an agony that was almost physical, it made his heart burn within his chest and the officers were silent while they waited for his orders. He wanted to kill this man, to watch him die a horrible death, similar to the one the five elves had suffered. He snarled at the human. “You are nothing but filth, and you are not even worthy of torture, it would be like torturing a mad animal. I would have loved to watch you squirm and scream but you are not even worthy of entertaining me.”

The man looked a bit confused and then he laughed. “Not even man enough to kill hah? Thought so, someone as pretty as you are probably better at sucking cock than fighting!”

Thranduil grinned, the smile was almost as vicious as the mad humans. “There is a lot of wild boar in these woods, they eat everything they can find that is edible. And they do not mind if the food is screaming and struggling, neither does the huge spiders, I wonder which will find him first “

He gestured towards two of the soldiers. “Strip him, tie him to a tree and cut him thoroughly, not enough for him to bleed out but just so much that they’ll catch the scent of dinner!”

He felt weird having given the order, was he becoming just as bad as this human? Was it beneath him to give such an order? Did it make him evil too? He did not know, but he knew that simply slitting the human’s throat never would satisfy his hunger for vengeance, he needed to know that this beast would suffer, that he would feel the same fear and despair as these poor young elves. The man screamed in anger as the soldiers followed his order and the prince watched with teary eyes as the bodies of his two friends were wrapped up and placed on a horse. He had never encountered such pure evil before, never anything like this and it scared him to the bone. He felt small, defenseless and alone and suddenly he could not wait to get home and see his father again.

The group returned slowly, there were no cheers to be heard, no welcoming shouts and there were tears shed by both family and friends. The bodies were washed and prepared and at sunrise they were burned. Thranduil was watching as the flames licked towards the heavens above and his heart felt dead and heavy. He still could not believe this, it was almost impossible to understand that these good friends of his were gone forever. He heard the laments floating through the air as he went to his chamber with heavy steps. His father was waiting for him, he could see that Oropher too had shed his tears and Thranduil stopped, he could not really breath, he could not… Oropher embraced his son, Thranduil shuddered and let his tears run free. “Oh adar, how can any creatures be so evil? Have so little respect for others?”

Oropher stroked his sons silvery blond hair. “It is the very nature of evil ion nin, remember evil is what evil does, the deeds we do are what defines us as evil, not our race or lives. Being evil is to be uncaring for anything but your own power and progress. Remember this!”

Thranduil gasped and looked down, shame written all over his face. “ I left the man responsible for their deaths in the woods, tied up and helpless, for the beasts to find and devour. I…I was so angry, so scared!”

Oropher sighed and hugged his son. “ You do regret that decision my son and it tells me that you are nothing like those humans, you were caught by your own fear and sorrow, uncontrolled emotions can lead us into doing things we otherwise never would even consider. There is a difference between being evil deliberately as these humans were and doing things that could be considered as bad because of fear and sorrow. It is in the nature of living creatures my son, we would be Gods if we were without flaws. Do not blame yourself for what you ordered your men to do, it is understandable even if it was a bit uncivilized. If you must kill you should always kill swiftly, we do not torture anything, not even orcs. So remember this for the years to come, it may serve you as a lesson, a very harsh one and even more painful but valuable nonetheless. Do not let your feelings rule you my son, because then you will become their slave and not their master and you may act rash and thoughtless again, as a ruler that is one thing you are absolutely not to do if you are to keep your realm and people safe.” 

Oropher kissed his forehead lovingly, his son had faced reality and it had been a terrible shock for him, he could only hope that it wouldn’t scar the young ellon for life.

Thranduil sobbed and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Thank you ada, I will rest now!”

Oropher sighed. “Yes, rest my son, and may the Valar protect you from evil dreams.”

Thranduil closed the door to his chambers and shivered, he still saw them, the ghastly injuries. Lango and Liriel had suffered terribly before they died and he choked a scream of pure anguish, he could not sleep, would not sleep. He knew the images would haunt him if he were to sleep. He turned his head, on a table there were a few bottles of wine, he hated wine, could not stand the taste of it but he felt a sudden urge to get drunk, to erase the memories and just get so sedated he wouldn’t care. 

He grabbed a bottle, pulled out the cork with his teeth and emptied it. It tasted vile but he continued, emptied three bottles before he fell onto his bed in a haze of alcohol, fear, sorrow pain and guilt. He did not know it, but in the centuries and millennia to come it would unfortunately become somewhat of a habit. He dozed off and slept until the sun went down, then he drank more and remained drinking until he became numb, and the world a blur before his eyes. He drank until he felt no more and it became a refuge, a wall between him and the memories and his feelings, a safe harbor where nothing could hurt him or reach him, a harbor where the only tears shed where his own, and they were shed in secrecy. 

 

The last part of this story is a bit inspired by the song Sober by Pink. Guess that something like that could make anyone start drinking and once you’ve started heading down that path it is bloody hard to turn back. Reviews are welcome.


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